Krampe Training of operational staff-1x

EWA Spring Days, Budapest 2015 1/18

Name der

Veranstaltung

VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGYTechnische Universität Wien

Institute for Water Quality

Resources and Waste Management

Training of operational staff for wastewater treatment plants and sewer

networks in Austria

Jörg Krampe, Wilhelm Frey, Norbert Kreuzinger

EWA Spring Days 4 – 6 March 2015

Budapest

Institute for Water QualityResources and Waste Management


Content

• Development of operator training in Austria

• WWTP operator training

– Adult education

– Recognised occupation requiring formal training (Staatlicher Lehrberuf)

• Sewer network operator training

• WWTP and sewer system neighbourhoods



Big effort – little impact



Development of operator training in Austria

Initiative from Univ.-Prof. DDr.-Ing. W. v.d. Emde

• High expenditure for the construction of wastewater treatment plants

• Success of wastewater treatment highly dependent of staff

� First WWTP operator training 1968 in Vienna



ÖWAV training (WWTP operator) (1)

• 1968: WWTP operator – basic course

• 1973: WWTP operator – advanced course

• 1980: Mechanical engineering course

• 1982: Practical training on an educational WWTP

• 1984: ÖWAV guideline RB 15 “Skilled sewage worksoperators“

• 1984: Exam for skilled sewage works operators

• 1987: Laboratory course

• 1991: WWTP neighbourhoods

• 1996: 3-week WWTP operator basic course

• 1999: Microscopy course (basic/advanced)




• 2000: Small WWTP operator training (< 50 PE)

• 2004: Small WWTP operator training (50 – 500 PE)

• 2007: Constructed wetland course (< 50 PE)

• 2006: Instrumentation, control and automation on WWTPs

• 2006: Basic course in electrics for non electricians

• 2008: Business administration and organisation

• 2008: Legal requirements

• 2009: Refresher and advanced courses

• 2013: Measurement technology course




• No master craftsman training in Austria (Meisterausbildung)

• Manager of larger WWTPs usually university graduates

• State regulated apprenticeship “Disposal and recycling specialist”

– Few real apprentice(approx. 30 people since 1992)

– Some finale exams as external students by ÖWAV WWTP operator specialists (approx. 10 people since 1992)



Training of WWTP operator specialists according to ÖWAV guideline RB 15

Pra

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atin

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(3 r

espe

ctiv

ely

2 ye

ars

)

Practical training

Educational WWTP 2 weeks or Home WWTP 4 weeks

Basic course 3 weeks

Laboratory course 1 week

Min

imum

1 y

ear

prac

tical

exp

erie

nce

betw

een

basi

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ours

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Mechanical engineering course 1 week

Advanced course 1 week

EXAM FOR SKILLED SEWAGE WORKS OPERATORS 1 day

Basic course in electrics 1 week *)

Measurement technology course 3 days

In a

ny o

rder

*) for participants without electrical training



ÖWAV training (sewer works operator) (1)

• 1997: Basic course for sewer works operators

• 1999: Sewer inspection course

• 2001: Sewer cleaning course

• 2002: Training in leakage tests of sewer pipes

• 2006: Advanced course for sewer works operators

• 2008: Exam for skilled sewer works operators

• 2012: ÖWAV guideline RB 44 “Skilled sewer worksoperator”



Training of sewer operator specialists according to ÖWAV guideline RB 44



Attendees

• Approximately 1,000 participant across all ÖWAV training courses per year

• Sine 1968 more than 24,000 people attended the courses

– WWTP operator specialist approx. 2,100 people

– Sewer operator specialist approx. 150 people

• More than 3,000 people work on Austrian wastewater treatment plants



Costs of the training (1)

• Costs for the courses

– Skilled WWTP operator approx. 6,000 €

– Skilled sewer works operator approx. 5,000 €

• Completed training courses per year

– Skilled WWTP operator approx. 100 people

– Skilled sewer works operator approx. 50 people

• Costs of the training

– Courses approx. 850,000 €/year

– Ancillary costs (replacement staff, travel and living allowance) approx. 2.3 Mio. €



Costs of the training (2)

• Based on the annual Austrian report on municipal wastewater from 2014

– 1,200 WWTPs (51 – 1,999 PE)

– 640 WWTPs (> 2,000 PE)

– 21.6 • 106 PE treated

– Wastewater volume 1.6 • 109 m³/year

• Specific costs for the education(3.15 . 106 €/year) / (1,6 . 109 m³/year) = 0.002 €/m³ (0.2 €-Cent per m³)

� Money well and efficient spent



Legal provisions in Austria

• ‘Wasserrechtsgesetz‘ (Water Rights Act)

– Operation and maintenance with due diligence, no water pollution

– Instandhaltungsverpflichtung

• ‘Abwasseremissionsverordnung’ (Ordinances on Wastewater Emissions)

– Operation and maintenance through trained staff

• ‘Wasserrechtsbescheid’ (Wastewater Permit)

– Number and qualification of operating staff



Increasing requirements for the training (1)

• 20 years ago knowledge and skills where the main focus areas

– Metals processing and welding

– Pipes and fittings

– Machinery (e.g. screens, pumps)

– Electrical engineering (e.g. cables, drives)

– Chemistry

– Physics

– Biology

– etc.



Increasing requirements for the training (2)

• Since 10 years shift towards– Process engineering and process control

– Legal compliance

– Waste disposal (sludge handling)

– Maintenance and rehabilitation (WWTP, sewer)

– Economics

– Energy production on WWTPs and in the sewer

– Management, human resource skills

– Occupational health and safety (OHS)

– Public relations



Further education in neighbourhoods

• Aim Help to help themselves

• Initiated 1991 by Univ.-Prof. DDr.-Ing. W. v.d. Emde

“No education is as helpful as the exchange between peers who face the same issues at different places“

• Structure Advisory board – Supervisor – Spokesman

• A neighbourhood is formed by 10 – 15 plants of a region

• 2 neighbourhood days per year

• 1 supervisor and spokesman day per year

• Participation > 90% of all WWTPs



Achieving outcomes through education and training

Documents

Krampe Training of operational staff-1x